Landmark, Ruralco rural brands unite to form Nutrien Ag Solutions

Nov. 12, 2019 | 5 Min read
Iconic rural brands Landmark and Ruralco will soon cease to exist, with the recently merged companies uniting to form Nutrien Ag Solutions.

The name stems from Landmark's parent company in Canada, Nutrien Ltd, which acquired Ruralco Holdings Limited last month for around $470 million.

Managing director of the new-look company Rob Clayton said the name was chosen to reflect the global reach of the brand.

"Agriculture is a global business, and we wanted to make sure that we have a strong connection to the global business going forward," he said.
"Fifty-one per cent of millennials said they would like to have an option to work for a global business, and this is a global business and I want to make sure that we don't hide that fact.

"I want people to know that we have tentacles right across the world looking for the best solutions for our growers, and giving opportunities for our employees."

A new era for rural retail
The company has confirmed around 400 of its corporate-owned and joint-venture rural stores will be rebranded across Australia over the next 12 months, with a further 300 independent stores to remain under the CRT brand.

There will also be sub-brands created for Nutrien's livestock, wool, equine, and water businesses.

Mr Clayton said although his staff would no longer be wearing their well-known green shirts in the nation's saleyards, he was confident the new brand would be well received.

"Branding and colours is not what's important to the grower, and not what's important to our farmer customers around the country," he said.

"People deal with people in agriculture, and that won't change going forward.

"So I think Nutrien Ag Solutions in time will come to be known and loved as much as the Landmark business was."

The revamp is set to begin in Dubbo this week, with up to 50 rural stores expected to be rebranded by the end of the year.

Mr Clayton said stores were also starting to be merged in 38 locations where both Landmark and Ruralco branches currently existed.

"We've done the first couple of mergers, the Deniliquin stores have merged together, and the people in those locations have all moved to one location," he said.

"The Landmark location has moved into the ex-Ruralco location in Adelaide, and again no job losses — just a move of premises."

Categories Agribusiness